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Labour leadership contender Grant Robertson believes the party can continue to resonate with Māori voters, whoever the leader is.
Mr Robertson, David Cunliffe and Shane Jones this weekend hold the first of 12 hustings meetings around the country where members can see them speak and decide who to vote for.
The Wellington Central MP says he was drawn to Labour because of its core values of giving people a fair go and creating opportunities for all.
He says while the relationship with Māori has been rocky in recent years, the majority of party votes from Māori voters still go to Labour.
"I recognise the hurt that has been caused by foreshore and seabed and the Urewera raids and so on and obviously we have to make sure we rebuild relationships that may have been broken there, but ultimately the Labour Party remains the party of the people. We're the party that will put people before money. We're the party that will look after families and we'll have our difference, we'll need to discuss those from time to time, but at our core values, I still believe Labour is still the party that Maori voters will see themselves in," Mr Robertson says.
There will be hustings meetings in Auckland at the Otahuhu Events Centre on Sunday afternoon, and Western Springs College Hall on Sunday night.
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